Cell phone users got a break Monday, thanks to national rules that went into effect allowing them to switch service providers without changing their number.
The rules, implemented by the Federal Communications Commission, are designed to give customers greater flexibility and place more accountability on the shoulders of the service providers, according to the commission's Web site.
UNM junior Daniel Estes said he thinks the rules will force the cell phone industry to provide the best service and options possible, knowing that customers now have nothing preventing them from switching to another provider.
"Believe it or not, the thought of having to get a whole new number is enough to keep many people from switching to another service," he said. "I have friends who have been unhappy with their cell phone service for years, but they just didn't want to deal with the hassles of going to another service. Now they have something to bargain with."
This newfound freedom does not come without a cost, however. The FCC has already doled out more than $1.2 billion in implementing the regulation, with cell phone customers left to offset those costs through increased cost.
Jenny Weaver, spokeswoman for Verizon Wireless, one of the nation's leading cellular providers, said the company is doing its best not to pass any incurring costs of the regulation on to its customers.
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She admitted, though, that Verizon customers can expect at least a 45 cent increase in their monthly bills starting next year.
"We never like to increase costs and we strive to provide all the newest amenities to our customers without burdening them with additional fees," Weaver said. "However, when large programs like this are being put into place, we all have to do our part. We see that as the cost of doing business."
The FCC is also allowing businesses to charge their customers an additional transfer fee to switch to another provider. Weaver said, though, that many providers, including Verizon, would not pass these charges on to customers in most cases.
Early termination fees, additional costs incurred when contracts are ended prior to their expiration date, will still apply, though.
The luxury of switching service providers while keeping the same number is expected to draw an additional 30 million people into the world of cell phones within the first year of the program's use, according to the FCC.
Cell phone customers will be allowed to transfer their number by contacting the provider they want to switch to and providing their telephone number, billing address, account number and latest bill.
Once the new provider contacts the old one to verify the account information, the transfer is expected to take about a day.
"It is going to be great for the cell phone business," said Paul Sanchez, owner of University Wireless, a campus-area cell phone provider. "I expect there to be a growth in business and customers are going to be treated better. It's a good situation no matter how you look at it."
